Flow阿姨希望經期成為工作場所的主流

長期以來，月經健康一直是工作場所的禁忌話題。時代產品要不是完全不存在，就是隱藏在後面

Despite affecting half the population, menstrual health is still often overlooked in the workplace. Many businesses treat period products like a luxury, while toilet paper is offered at no cost.

儘管影響了一半人口，月經健康在工作場所仍然經常被忽視。許多企業將仿古產品視為奢侈品，而衛生紙則免費提供。

This narrative is being flipped by Aunt Flow, a business that provides menstrual products in over 60,000 bathrooms and 2500 businesses, schools and venues.

Aunt Flow 正在顛覆這種說法，該公司為超過 60,000 個浴室和 2500 個企業、學校和場所提供經期產品。

Aunt Flow founder and CEO Claire Coder had a lightbulb moment in an event bathroom in 2016. She was stuck without a pad or tampon, and her only option was an old-school coin-operated dispenser.

Aunt Flow 創辦人兼執行長 Claire Coder 於 2016 年在一次活動廁所裡突然靈光一現。

“I thought, ‘wow, if toilet paper is offered at no cost, why aren’t period products?’” Coder told SmartCompany.

「我想，『哇，如果衛生紙是免費提供的，為什麼不提供經期產品呢？』」Coder 告訴 SmartCompany。

We were sitting in a room at HubSpot’s Inbound – a huge conference in Boston with over 12,000 attendees. No doubt, many of them would face similar menstrual challenges through the course of the week.

我們坐在 HubSpot Inbound 的房間裡，這是在波士頓舉行的大型會議，有超過 12,000 名與會者。毫無疑問，她們中的許多人在一周內都會面臨類似的月經挑戰。

Fortunately for them, every bathroom on site was stocked with Aunt Flow baskets of period products – free of charge.

對他們來說幸運的是，現場的每間浴室都免費擺放著弗洛阿姨的籃子，裡面裝有時代產品。

Aunt Flow wants periods to be mainstream in the workplace

Flow阿姨希望經期成為工作場所的主流

For far too long menstrual health has been a taboo topic in the workplace. Either period products are completely absent, or they’re hidden behind some outdated coin-operated paywall.

長期以來，月經健康一直是工作場所的禁忌話題。要么完全沒有時代產品，要么它們隱藏在一些過時的投幣式付費牆後面。

“In the early days of Aunt Flow, I had to explain to people why you should offer free period products,” Coder said.

「在 Flow 阿姨的早期，我必須向人們解釋為什麼應該提供免費的經期產品，」Coder 說。

Not only did companies not get it, but many assumed this meant that Aunt Flow would provide the products for free for them to distribute.

公司不僅沒有得到它，而且許多人認為這意味著流阿姨將免費提供產品供他們分發。

There was a distinct disconnect between categorising period products in the same way you would other basic bathroom amenities in the workplace.

就像對工作場所其他基本浴室設施進行分類一樣，對經期產品進行分類之間存在明顯的脫節。

“No, you have to pay for it – just like you purchase soap and paper towels. Then you offer it at no cost to your employees and guests,” Coder would have to explain.

「不，你必須付費——就像你購買肥皂和紙巾一樣。然後你就可以免費向你的員工和客人提供它，」Coder 必須解釋道。

Aunt flow is boosting productivity: One tampon at a time

阿姨流正在提高生產力：一次一條衛生棉條

Source: Aunt Flow

來源：流阿姨

Not having easy access to menstrual products sounds ridiculous when you actually think about it. This is particularly true when you look back at your own surprise-period experiences in professional settings.

當你真正想到這一點時，無法輕鬆獲得經期產品聽起來很荒謬。當你回顧自己在職業環境中的驚喜經歷時尤其如此。

I’d wager that most of us menstruating folks have been there – stuffing a pad or tampon up a sleeve as you make a mad dash for the bathroom, or being asked where you’re going because you’re taking your handbag with you from your desk.

我敢打賭，我們大多數經期的人都經歷過這樣的情況——當你瘋狂沖向衛生間時，把衛生棉或衛生棉條塞進袖子裡，或者因為你帶著手提包而被問到要去哪裡。

Or in more dire circumstances, having to make do with single-ply toilet paper while waddling to the shops in the middle of work, hunched over in pain.

或者在更可怕的情況下，不得不在工作中搖搖晃晃地走向商店，痛苦地彎著腰，用單層衛生紙湊合。

But let’s say a workplace is more concerned about output rather than basic employee wellbeing.

但假設工作場所更關心產出而不是員工的基本福祉。

There’s a pitch for that too.

這也是有道理的。

Menstrual products aren’t just a nice-to-have, they’re also a productivity issue.

月經產品不僅僅是一個可有可無的東西，它們還是一個生產力問題。

A US study from 2013 found 86% of women have started their period unexpectedly at work and 64% had to leave to get supplies.

美國 2013 年的一項研究發現，86% 的女性在工作中意外地開始了月經，64% 的女性不得不下班去拿用品。

A 2023 study in Australia also dug into the significant effect period symptoms, menopause, menstrual disorders and endometriosis have on paid work.

澳洲 2023 年的一項研究也深入探討了經期症狀、更年期、月經失調和子宮內膜異位症對有償工作的顯著影響。

Think about all the time lost because employees have to leave work to buy period products.

想想因為員工必須下班去買經期產品而損失的所有時間。

“Getting people involved and making sure that they’re staying focused at the office? It’s kind of a no-brainer,” Coder said.

「讓人們參與並確保他們在辦公室保持專注？這是理所當然的事情，」Coder 說。

Coder also thinks it’s time to demand a better solution.

Coder 也認為是時候要求更好的解決方案了。

“We can ask for these basic necessities. We can share our voice,” Coder said.

「我們可以要求這些基本必需品。我們可以分享我們的聲音，」Coder 說。

Aunt Flow’s products have been introduced to large workplaces such as Google’s and Netflix’s US offices.

Flow阿姨的產品已被引入谷歌和Netflix美國辦公室等大型工作場所。

Unfortunately, there’s still some resistance, because some smaller businesses think it’s expensive. But Coder is quick to point the shift isn’t just for the big players.

不幸的是，仍然存在一些阻力，因為一些較小的企業認為它很昂貴。但 Coder 很快指出，這種轉變不僅僅是針對大型企業。

“With Aunt Flow, it’s roughly two to five US dollars per female employee per year. It’s so accessible, but it’s not always prioritised,” Coder said.

「對於 Flow Aunt，每位女性員工每年的成本約為 2 至 5 美元。它很容易獲得，但並不總是被優先考慮，」Coder 說。

“It’s a low-cost, high-impact initiative.”

“這是一項低成本、高影響力的舉措。”

Is the red tide changing in Australia?

澳洲的赤潮正在改變嗎？

Source: Supplied

來源：提供

Aunt Flow isn’t currently available in Australia, but Coder is looking to enter the market in the future.

Aunt Flow 目前尚未在澳洲上市，但 Coder 計劃在未來進入該市場。

In the meantime, we have seen the conversation around reproductive leave enter the mainstream here in Australia.

同時，我們看到圍繞生育假的討論已成為澳洲的主流。

Queensland recently introduced reproductive health leave, giving public sector workers up to ten days off for issues like menstruation, IVF and menopause.

昆士蘭最近推出了生殖健康休假，為公共部門工作人員提供長達十天的休假，以解決月經、試管受精和更年期等問題。

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has also been lobbying federal politicians on 10 days of paid leave for workers to deal with their reproductive health.

澳洲工會理事會 (ACTU) 也一直在遊說聯邦政界人士為工人提供 10 天帶薪休假，以處理他們的生殖健康問題。

This was off the back of disability service provider, Scope, being the first employer in Australia to provide 12 days of reproductive leave to its 7000 workers.

這是殘疾服務提供者 Scope 的功勞，它是澳洲第一家為其 7000 名員工提供 12 天生育假的雇主。

This is a big step and one that could take time to become a national leave standard. But there are small but

這是一大進步，可能需要一段時間才能成為全國休假標準。但也有小但是